Mongolian Cooking 1

Buuz, Bansh and Khuushuur: Mongolian Dumplings

 Dumplings are found on dinner tables throughout Mongolia and these small doughy packages of mutton or beef reveal the connection between this isolated country and their Chinese neighbors to the south. Mongolian dumplings are distinctly different from those found in Chinese Dim Sum, since they are made from a typically hardy dough and are often fried. Buuz is the general name for dumplings and gives its name to a wide variety of restaurants throughout Ulan Bator in which these boiled or steamed meat-filled dumplings are served. Bansh is a smaller version of these dumplings, whilst Khuushuur are deep fried in oil and are served like pancakes. One of the most popular restaurants serving Buuz is Ulan Bator’s Khaan Buuz, where all three varieties are on offer and are considered a version of Mongolian fast food.

 

Boodog: Marmot Barbecue

 As with Khorkhog, Boodog is an example of Mongolian barbecue which also uses hot stones as a cooking method, but in this case the hot stones are not placed inside a pot but are actually inserted into the carcass itself. The dish is usually made with either a young goat or more often a marmot, which is stuffed with heated rocks and a variety of vegetables and spices. It is then simultaneously heated from the outside, either on a barbecue or with a blowtorch to ensure it is cooked through and to burn off the animal’s fur. The dish is another example of a more utilitarian nomadic lifestyle, in which cooking materials are not readily at hand and rocks and fire stand in for an oven. This dish can be experienced throughout Mongolia, although most Ulan Bator restaurants will often serve a more refined take on it. It is best experienced out on the steppe, where traditional cooking methods are preserved. The Terelj Lodge offers guests a chance to try Boodog in one of their Kazakh gers.